The present invention is designed to effect improvement of a machine tool with an automatic tool changer.
A variety of automatic tool changer have been developed in the past. When attention is focused on the tool change time, the most effective result is assured by the type of automatic tool changer featuring a so-called "integrated" spindle head construction in which the spindle head supporting the tool spindle is integrally built with the tool storage magazine and tool change arm.
However, an automatic tool changer of this type has a disadvantage in that the number of the tools which can be contained in the tool storage magazine is limited.
This is because of (1) limited space in the spindle head, (2) the need to mount large-diameter tools (full-back cutter, boring tool, etc.) in the storage magazine to fulfill the purpose of the machine tool with an automatic tool changer to complete all the machining operations in a single setup, and (3) the need to return the used tool into the next tool socket since the tool change arm generally uses a twin arm system which permits simultaneous change of the new and old tools. Therefore, when determining the tool layout in the tool storage magazine, the same pitches should be used for tool arrangement, with the large-diameter tool taken into consideration. This leads to a reduction in the number of tools which can be stored in the magazine.